Before It's Too Late
by EnsignAbby
Summary: What happens when Seven and Chakotay are spending too much time together? The Doctor and Janeway take control of the situation after "Human Error". D/7 and J/C. Please R+R!


Title: Before it's too late Author: Abby (sugaraygal@hotmail.com) Rating: G Summary: What happens when Seven starts spending time with Chakotay? This is my solution to the Seven/Chakotay problem. Disclaimer: I am sure you all know all about the disclaimer stuff by now. It's Paramount's, not mine. They get the credit and the money, and I don't... Comments: This is my first ever fan fic. I really need to know how I did. So give me some feedback! -%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%- %-%-%-%-%-%-%  
  
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Seven was waiting on the holodeck. He was late. She checked her internal chronometer and it told her that is had been ten minutes since he was supposed to be there. She looked around at the program that was running. Lockers, weights, and a giant ring took up most of the room. An old man was sitting with a towel around his neck, reading a newspaper. A swish of the doors behind her told her that he had finally arrived. She turned her head and stared at him blankly. "You're late, Commander" she said.  
  
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Chakotay gave a little grin. "Well hello to you too, Seven."  
  
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***  
  
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Tom Paris put down the PADD he was holding and looked towards the Doctor's office. The EMH was fidgeting, and having a hard time keeping his attention on the computer screen in front of him. Being the curious person that he was, Tom decided to investigate. He strode over and leaned in the office doorway. The Doc noticed him in the corner of his eye and looked up. "Mr. Paris, why aren't you finishing your report?"  
  
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Tom stood up and crossed his arms. "Why aren't you?"  
  
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The Doc gave him an odd look. "I am." Tom Paris stared. "Well, sort of."  
  
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Doc's assistant sighed. "Why don't you tell me what is going on?"  
  
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The Doctor leaned back in his chair, contemplating whether or not to tell him. He knew that Tom would eventually find out sooner or later. "It's Seven."  
  
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"Oh, is this about her and Chakotay hanging out together?"  
  
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"Yes!" Doctor said emphatically. "What else? They are spending too much time together. It's not that I'm really worried, but..."  
  
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"You're jealous."  
  
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"No! Yes. I don't know. Ever since Seven's accident and I saw her there on the holodeck..."  
  
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"What are you talking about?"  
  
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The Doctor mentally slapped himself for letting that slip. "Nothing. None of your business." He turned back to his work. Tom walked up and sat himself down on the desk. "Look, Doc, stop torturing yourself. Tell her how you feel before they have a chance to start anything."  
  
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"I don't know.."  
  
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"Aah come on, you know and I know that if those two end up hitting it off you will never stop hating yourself." The Doctor didn't answer. He looked down at his hands that were laying on the top of the desk. Tom sighed and walked out of the room. "Just think about it, will ya?"  
  
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He didn't hear him. He was too busy thinking. Should he tell Seven? What would happen if he did? Seven's holoprogram obviously showed that she was romantically attracted to Chakotay, not him. But, then again, she said that she chose Chakotay for her romantic interest in the program just to experiment with. That didn't necessarily mean that she loved him. The Doctor kept on thinking like this for a couple minutes. Suddenly the doors to Sickbay opened and a crewmember with what appeared to be a broken arm stepped in. The EMH rose out of his seat and made his way toward him. Oh well, he was going to put this whole Seven thing aside for now.  
  
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"Please state the nature of the medical emergency."  
  
***  
  
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It was a rather boring day on the bridge. Nothing of importance had happened in the last week and most of the crew was on leave.Captain Janeway sat in her ready room, reading an old book. Next to her on the table sat a half-empty cup of coffee. She was just getting to the climax of the story when the door chimed. She grimaced. She lost her spot. She put her book down, resolving to find where she left off later. "Come in" she said.  
  
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Chakotay walked in and handed her a PADD. "Here is my report. It's really quite interesting." He said with an upturn of his mouth.  
  
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"I can see that. Warp 6, no ships in sight and no solar systems for another 10 light years. Very interesting." She smirked.  
  
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"What are you reading?"  
  
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She looked down at her book. "Oh that? It's called 'Night' by Elie Weisel. It is about the author's time in a labor camp during earth's second world war. It's very sad. And a whole lot more interesting than this report." She threw the PADD onto the table. "I'm going to the mess hall for an early lunch. Care to join me?"  
  
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Chakotay smiled. "I'd love to, but me and Seven were going to play a game of Velocity on the holodeck. Perhaps some other time."  
  
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Janeway frowned, but quickly recovered, slapping on another smile. "That's okay. I think I will just wait for lunch."  
  
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He nodded. "I'm sorry I ruined your plans. Well, I have to get going. Don't want to be late. Again. Have a good afternoon." He turned and left.  
  
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Janeway rubbed her forehead with her index finger and her thumb. She was starting to get a headache. She gulped down the rest of her coffee. She picked up her book and searched for the spot where she left off. She found it, but she didn't keep reading. Her mind filled with thoughts. She worried about Chakotay. May he be falling for Seven? What about Seven? She's not ready for a relationship, but if Chakotay pushes her... She shook the thoughts out of her head. Silly, absolutely silly. There was nothing going on. She had nothing to worry about. She continued to read her book, trying to concentrate on the words. But as soon as she got to the bottom of the page she was out of it again. This time she started daydreaming. She saw Seven and Chakotay wrapped in each others arms, Seven's hair flowing freely. Chakotay caressed the back of Seven's head. "I love you, Seven..."  
  
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Kathryn gave a little scream and snapped out of it. She looked at the book dirtily, as if it had given her those horrible thoughts. There was a chime at her door and she whipped her head around to look at it. "Come in". Tuvok walked in, with a phaser pointing every which way. When he saw nothing unusual, he put the phaser down and raised his eyebrow. "Captain, are you all right?"  
  
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Captain Janeway flushed, slightly embarassed. "I'm fine Tuvok. I just dozed off...and had a bad dream..."  
  
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Once again Tuvok raised his eyebrows, but he said nothing. He turned around and left. Janeway got up, recycled her book, and ordered another cup of coffee from the replicator. She sat down and leaned back against the cushion. She tapped her combadge. "Janeway to Chakotay. I need to speak to you in my ready room. Now."  
  
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***  
  
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The last patient left Sickbay. After cleaning all of his tools, the Doctor leaned against a biobed. He had nothing else to do. Where was Seven? Maybe she could go to the mess hall with him.. no wait. He remembered. She was on an outing with Cha-ko-tay. He snorted loudly and spoke up. "Computer, where are the locations of Seven of Nine and Commander Chakotay?"  
  
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"Seven of Nine is in Holodeck two. Commander Chakotay is in Holodeck two."  
  
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Yep, they were there all right. He closed his eyes and groaned, banging his head on the biobed. The two together drove him absolutely nuts. Why are you doing this to me Seven? He openly admitted to himself that he was terribly jealous of Chakotay. He was spending a lot of time with her. The Doctor was starting to miss all of the time Seven used to spend with him. The Doc reclined on the biobed and stared up at the cieling. "Computer, play EMH opera selection Alpha 2." Music from the final scene of Faust began filling the air. "Holy angel, in heaven blessed, my spirit longs with thee to rest..." The Doc closed his eyes and gave himself into the music.  
  
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After a few moments, an image began floating around his mind. Seven of Nine was standing there, her hair down, and her blues eyes were glowing with a beautiful radiance. She smiled at him, showing her two rows of perfect white teeth. He subconciously smiled too. She was so breathtaking. Then she raised her hand and waved at him, saying something like goodbye, but he couldn't quite make it out. He tried to speak to her, but his mouth wouldn't open. She turned around and walked into the distance. From the darkness another person appeared. The Doctor couldn't see who it was very clearly. Seven wrapped her arms around the other person's neck. She kissed him very deeply . The Doc felt his stomach turn, well, if he had a stomach. The man gave Seven a hug, resting his head on Seven's shoulder. The Doctor could see clearly who the man was now. It was Chakotay!  
  
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The Doctor let out an angered scream which mingled with the sounds of the opera. He sat up quickly and opened his eyes. He was breathing in short gasps, although he knew there was no reason for him to. "Computer end music" It stopped abruptly. He swung his feet over the side of the biobed. Staring at the floor, he rubbed his hand over the top of his head. He could not let that happen, what happened in the dream. Tom Paris was right. He would never forgive himself if he didn't do something now. He went over and grabbed his mobile emitter and slapped it on his arm. He ran out of Sickbay.  
  
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***  
  
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He arrived at Holodeck 2. He slowed his pace and pressed the button for the doors to open. He walked in and stopped abruptly near the entrance. He was prepared to make an excuse to Chakotay and take Seven out of the room for a private conversation, but the Commander was no where to be seen. Seven was leaning against the far wall of the holodeck, eyes closed, and holding a towel in one hand and a water bottle in the other. Sweat was glistening on her face. The Doc gave a little sigh of relief, happy to know that he didn't have to deal with Chakotay. He stepped forward. "Seven."  
  
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Her eyes flew open and her foot gave a little twitch. Obviously she was not aware of him coming in. Seven saw him standing there and stood up straight, trying to regain her composure. "Doctor, I didn't know you were there." She opened her mouth to say that he had frightened her, but she closed it and flushed a deep red.  
  
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"How are you Seven?" he asked, with a wide grin on his face. "You look lovely today." She looked down at the ground, not used to recieving many compliments. She put her hands behind her back and looked up at him. "I am fine." she said, "What are you doing here?" The Doctor hadn't practiced what he was going to say ahead of time, so he was momentarily speechless. "I, uh.. I wanted to talk to you about something. It's very important." Seven saw the worry etched in his face and nodded. He saw a holographic bench in the corner, so he sat down on it and motioned for her to join him. She complied without question. The Doc turned to her, taking hold of her hands. He moistened his lips and began. "You know, I,.. Ever since you have been spending so much time with Chakotay I.. well, have been a little concerned."  
  
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"Concerned. Why?"  
  
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He started to show signs of nervousness. "Uh, well, you see when you are with him, I find myself wanting you to be spending time with me, and not with him."  
  
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Her eyebrow was raised. She was slightly amused. "You are jealous."  
  
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The Doctor cleared his throat and and turned a slight shade of red. "Yes, I guess I am. You two are getting awfully close, and I don't think I am comfortable with that."  
  
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"You are afraid I will start a relationship with him. Why? Is he not suitable for me?"  
  
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It's not that he is not suitable..." He gulped, knowing that it was time to come out with the truth. "It's because," He cast his eyes downward. "I love you, Seven. I always have. I want you to have a relationship with me, not with him." The Doctor grit his teeth, waiting for a reaction.  
  
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For a moment she just stared at him, in disbelief. But slowly her facial expression started to change. First her eyes twinkled. Then her mouth curved upward, and revealed her white teeth. Slowly a low sound began flowing out of her mouth. It got higher, and louder, until all of a sudden it was full blown laughter. She looked heaven-ward, shaking her head as if she heard a terriffic joke. The Doctor was in shock, unable to move his mouth. Why was she laughing? Did she find his confession funny? Finally the words came. "Seven...why are you..."  
  
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She looked back at him, and covered her mouth, trying to stiffle her final giggles. "I'm sorry, Doctor. But I find this situation quite ironic and it is amusing."  
  
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"Ironic?"  
  
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She nodded her head furiously. "Yes. All this time we have both had feelings for each other but never told each other. I also find it amusing that you actually thought I was interested in Commander Chakotay." She tried hard not to laugh again.  
  
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The EMH drunk all of this in. He didn't quite grasp the concept. "What did you say?"  
  
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She smiled a warm smile and brought his hands up to her face. "I love you too, Doctor. I have ever since you danced with me on the holodeck. I just didn't know how to tell you."  
  
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"I never would have imagined..." he began, but he stopped. He just looked at her. Her eyes told him that she was telling the truth. They gleamed with an excitement he had never seen before. Her full lips were set in a small smile. He took his thumb and traced her cheekbone. With his spare hand he reached behind and undid the clasp that was holding her hair back. She shook her head to loosen her hair and he ran his fingers through the soft, blond, strands. She was a vision. "Oh, Seven, you are so beautiful." She closed her eyes, basking in those words. She put her arms around his neck, and pulled him toward her and he planted a kiss on her cheek. Then he brought his mouth down on her own.  
  
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***  
  
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Sandrines was empty, save for a few holographic waiters and a couple immersed in each other in the corner. They were enjoying a quiet dinner together. The Doctor wore a black tuxedo, with a white shirt and a scarlet cumberbun. Seven complimented his ensemble by wearing a scarlet dress that flowed around her like a ocean of silk. Her hair was piled on top of her head with a few strands hanging down to frame her face. After finishing thier meal, the Doctor raised his glass of holographic champagne to the air. Seven followed suit. "To us. I love you, Seven. You will never know how much you mean to me." She beamed back at him. He leaned over the table and gave her a peck on the lips.  
  
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The doors to Sandrines opened, and Kathryn and Chakotay strolled in, wearing formal wear. They were holding hands. Janeway caught two of her fellow crewmembers in the corner, who didn't notice that the two had walked in. The Doc was raising his hands in the air, trying to act out a situation, and Seven was holding her mouth, trying to hide her giggles. She failed, and the sound of her laughter floated throughout the room. Janeway smiled. "Now thats a sound I didn't think I would ever hear." She turned to Chakotay. He was also grinning. "Come on," he said, leading her to the opposite corner of the room, "We don't want to disturb them." Janeway gave a little laugh of her own and allowed Chakotay to lead her to thier table.  
  
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THE END  
  
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*Note: The line of opera in this fic is from Faust by Gonoud. 


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